in memory of my father

 

My father with my two older sisters. {Pre-me} The love of his girls is so evident here.

as many of you know, my father died, with grace and ease,  on Sunday.  He had been diagnosed with Parkinsons a few years ago. Although we knew this time would come, it made it no easier in the end. In his 83 years of life he was an elegant man who lived his life for his family and his passion of design. As an architect he was given so many AIA awards and sat on myriad civic and design boards that the list would be too long to cite here. His contributions to the world and the architecture community was staggering. Even in his last months, when his mind was lost to dementia, he spoke mostly of design. We would sweetly smile, when speaking to him on the phone, listening to his non-sequitor conversations about 'codes' and structures, as if he were conducting a board meeting or was on a job site.

 my dad and me sometime in the 70s

Always, till the end  he had, what he once told me was the bane of an architects mind, 'An Edifice Complex', that is a perfectionist who would not quit designing until the very end. His beautiful cerebral wit, his creativity and his love for his family was the evident spirit that will always live with all who know him. I'll be back next week but will be taking this week off to celebrate the life of my beloved 'daddy'.